Combined display sign and supporting base



June 17, 1952 F. S. MASON 2,600,791

COMBINED DISPLAY SIGN AND SUPPORTING BASE Filed March 28; 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l W 52 5A/ v AT TORNE Y 5 Sheets-Shet 2.

INVENTOR. M?

JL'I' TORNEY June 17, 1952 s, MASON 2,600,791

COMBINED DISPLAY SIGN AND SUPPORTING BASE Filed March 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 AT TORNE Y Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ford S. Mason, Lockport, N. Y. Application March 28, 1950, Serial No. 152,324

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in display signs for use on containers.

In certain types of vending machines, containers for the articles to be vended are closed at their upper ends to protect the articles a ainst contamination and open at their lower ends for discharging the articles, for example, through a coin-controlled vending apparatus, and when placing articles into the container, the same must stand in an inverted position. It is desirable to provide on the upper part of the container a sign or display device which describes the contents of the container or supplies the prospective purchaser with other information. When signs of this type are permanently mounted on the containers for the goods, it is difficult for the attendant to support the container in inverted position when servicing the machine and replenishing the supply of articles in the container.

It is, consequently, an object of this invention to provide a container of this type with a display sign which is so mounted that when the container is inverted the sign forms a base for supporting the container in inverted position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a display device of this type which is pivotally mounted on the container so that it will be supported in an upwardly extending direction on the upper portion thereof, and so that it may be swung into a position to constitute a base for supporting the container in inverted position.

A further object is to provide improved means for mounting a combined display device and base on a container of globular or partly spherical shape.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a vending machine including an article container and having a combined display device and container supporting base embodying this invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, showing the container inverted and the display device serving as a base for supporting the container.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section, on line 44, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof, on line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof, on line 66, Fig. 5.

I have shown my invention, by way of example as applied to a globular or partly spherical glass container 8 which may contain articles, such for example as gum or candy balls. The upper end of the container is flattened and the lower end has a connecting neck portion 9, including a part (not shown) which is held within a split ring 10 which, in turn, is suitably secured to the upper end of a housing or casing H forming a part of a vending machine, such for example, as shown in my pending application, Serial No. 742,266. A glass container is preferred for sanitary reasons and also for the purpose of displaying the goods or articles in the container. Consequently, it is desirable to keep the container free from advertising matter or the like so as not to obstruct the view of the contents thereof. However, certain advertising or informational matter is desirable for use in connection with machines of this kind to supply prospective purchasers with information with reference to the goods or articles to be vended, or other information. In servicing machines of this type the split ring II] is released from the housing II when the container is in inverted position, andv the small, flattened upper surface of containers of this type have been found inadequate to properly support the apparatus in inverted position when being filled with the arti' old; to be vended, and while the casing H and the mechanism contained therein is removed from or replaced on the container.

In accordance with this invention, I provide a display member generally designated I2, which is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the container in such manner that it may be moved into an upwardly extending display position, in which any reading matter or the like carried thereby may be readily seen, and into another position in which the display member is in a position substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container. In the latter position, when the container is inverted, the display member 12 constitutes a base for supporting the container on a table or the like while being serviced.

The display member may be mounted on the container in any suitable or desired manner, and in the construction illustrated by way of example, I provide a supporting plate or member [4 on the upper end of the container 8 and on which the display member 12 is pivotally mounted. This supporting member may be of any desired construction and may be mounted on the container in any suitable or desired manner. In the construction illustrated, I have provided a ring l5 through which the neck portion 9 of the container may be inserted, and the supporting plate 14,

which is preferably of circular form is provided with an annular, downwardly extending flange l6 extending downwardly along the curved or substantially spherical surface of the container, the intermediate portion of the supporting plate l4 resting upon the fiat, upper end I! of the container, see particularly Fig. 5.

In order-to connect the supporting plate with the ring I5, I provide a plurality of connecting wires l9 and 28. Three of these wires are sufiicient to hold the supporting plate in correct position, but more may be employed if desired. The ends of the wires l9 are provided with turnedover loops 22 at opposite ends thereof which extend through apertures formed in the ring and in the bevelled or flanged portions I6 of the supporting plate. The wire has suitable tensioning means associated therewith, so that the supporting plate will be tightly seated on the container 8 and, in the construction illustrated, the wire has loops 24 at opposite ends thereof similar to the loops 22 and is shorter than the wire IS). A spring 25 may be provided at either end of this wire, for example, the lower loop 24 may be connected through an aperture in the ring l5 and the upper loop may be connected with the coil spring 25, one end of which engages the upper eye 24 of the wire and the other end of which passes through a lug or projection 26, preferably stamped out of the supporting member or plate l4. The tensioning means serves to securely seat the supporting plate or member l4 on the upper end of the container 8 so that the two wire members I 9 as well as the wire member 20 will be under tension. Any other means for mounting the supporting plate on a container may be provided, if desired.

The display member l2 may be suitably mounted on this supporting plate in any desired manner, and in the construction shown for this purpose, the supporting plate has a pair of upwardly extending lugs 28 which may be struck out of the supporting plate and bent upwardly, and the display member preferably includes a backing plate 29 which has a pair of ears 30 bent rearwardly from the backing plate. Holes are provided in the ears 30 and the lugs 28 through which a pivot pin 3| may pass, so that the backing plate may swing relatively to the supporting member or plate l4 about the axis of the pivot pin 3|. As will be hereinafter explained, the lugs and ears are preferably so located that the pivot pin 3| will be spaced at a substantial distance from the vertical axis of the container to produce a steady support for the container when the same is inverted.

The backing plate is preferably also provided at the lower end thereof with a forwardly projecting flange or extension 33 which may abut against the upper surface of the supporting plate l4 when the display device I2'is in its upper position. This flange or lip 33 also acts as a foot which rests on a table top or other supporting surface when supporting the container in inverted position, as shown in Fig. 3. Stops are also provided on the backing plate and supporting plate to limit the swinging of the backing plate in the opposite direction. In the particular construction shown by way of example for this purpose, the backing plate is provided with a rearwardly extending pressed-out portion 34 and the supporting plate is provided with a correspondingly upwardly pressed-out portion 35, these pressedout portions being so arranged relatively to each other that when the display device serves as a base for the inverted container, these pressed-out portions engage each other as shown in Fig. 3 to limit the extent to which the container and display device may swing relatively to each other. The stops 34 and 35 are preferably so formed that the display member l2 may swing slightly beyond a position at a right angle to the vertical axis of the container, so that the container when in inverted position as shown in Fig. 3 will lean slightly away from the hinge pin 3|, so that there will be less tendency of the container to become upset while swinging about the hinge pin.

Any suitable means may be provided for supporting the display device 12 in a substantially upright or slightly rearwardly inclined position when the container is in its normal or upright position. Preferably a spring of any suitable type is provided for normally urging the backing plate in the desired upwardly extending or display position as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5. In the construction shown, a spring is provided having an upwardly extending leg 38 of substantially inverted U-shape formed to bear against the back of the backing plate 29. The lower ends of the legs of the U-shaped part terminate in coils 39 through which the pivot pin 3| may extend, and the coils terminate in rearwardly extending arms 40 which engage the supporting plate l4. In order to hold the spring in place, a boss or lug 42 is struck out rearwardly from the backing plate so that it is straddled by means of the U-shaped leg 38 of the spring and the two legs 40 of the spring may extend into apertures in the supporting plate l4. These legs 40 are provided with foot portions 44 which extend through the holes 45 in the supporting plate and under an upwardly bent integral ridge or bead 46 of the supporting plate as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The spring is so biased that it will tend to swing the backing plate into its upper position. However, the spring is not sufficiently strong to prevent the display device from being readily folded into the position shown in Fig. 3 and will not tend to tip over the container when the same is in its inverted position and resting on the display device as shown in Fig. 3.

Any suitable or desired means may be attached to the backing plate for supporting cards or the like thereon, and in the construction shown, a card supporting plate 50 is welded or otherwise secured to the front face of the backing plate. The plate 58 may be constructed to support cards in any suitable manner, for example, by means of turned-over flanges 5| and 52 formed at the edges of the card supporting plate. The lower end of this plate may be provided with an outwardly projecting ridge or bead 53 on which the lower ends of the cards may rest, and an upwardly extending lip 54 formed integral with the card supporting plate and spaced from the front face of that plate, is arranged so that a part of the lower edge of a card may be inserted between this lip and the front face of the card supporting plate. If desired, a suitable emblem or decoration 56 may be arranged at the top of the display device which may be held in place between an upwardly projecting part 51 of the card supporting plate and an upwardly extending part 58 of the backing plate, and this emblem or decoration may be secured in place between the two plates by means of rivets-59 or the like. This emblem and the parts 5'! and 58 may however be omitted if desired. If desired, the card supporting plate may. also be provided at opposite sides thereof with downwardly extending projections 60 which may, if desired, engage the container 8 or the wires l9 when the display device is in its upwardly extending position, thus forming additional stops to limit the swinging of the display device.

By means of the construction described the display device will be normally held in its upwardly extending position by means of the spring. When the container is inverted and supported in the position shown in Fig. 3 for filling the container, this spring readily yields to permit the display member to swing into position substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of the container so that the display member may act as a supporting base for the container. When the container is again inverted into its normal or operative position, the display device will automatically be moved by means of the spring into its upwardly extending position.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a combined display sign and supporting base for a container having its upper end enclosed and open at its lower end to receive and discharge articles, that improvement which includes a supporting member secured to the upper end of said container, a display member pivotally mounted on said supporting member, means for supporting said display member in an upwardly extending display position, and stops for limiting the swinging of said display member into a position substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of said container, in which position said display member constitutes a base for supporting said container in inverted position.

2. A combined display sign and supporting base according to claim 1, in which said display member comprises a backing plate which is pivotally mounted on said supporting member and which includes a card supporting plate secured to said backing plate and provided with means for supporting a display card thereon.

3. A combined display sign and supporting base according to claim 1, in which said display member includes a forwardly extending projection at v the lower portion thereof for engaging said supporting member to limit the swinging or said display member into its upwardly extending position.

4. A combined sign and supporting base for a container having its upper end closed and open at its lower end to receive and discharge articles, that improvement which includes a display member, means for pivotally mounting said display member on the upper end of said container to enable said display member to swing into an upwardly extending display position and into a position substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of said container, and parts on said display member extending downwardly into position to engage said container to limit the extent to which said display member may be swung into said upwardly extending position, said display member when swung into said substantially perpendicular position serving to support said container when in inverted position.

5. A combined display sign and supporting base for a container of substantially globular form with outwardly bulging sides, a ring extending about the lower portion of said container and held against upward movement by said outwardly bulging sides, a supporting member arranged on the upper portion of said container, curved rods connecting said ring and said supporting member for securing said supporting member in fixed relation to the upper portion of said container, and a display member pivotally mounted on said supporting member and movable into an upwardly extending display position and into a position substantially perpendicular to the upright axis of said container for supporting said container when in inverted position.

6. A combined display sign and supporting base according to claim 5, in which tensioning means are associated with one of said rods for yieldingly urging said supporting member into seating relation to the upper end of said container.

7. In a combined display sign and supporting base for a container having its upper end enclosed and open at its lower end to receive and discharge articles, that improvement which includes a supporting member secured to the upper end of said container, a display member pivotally mounted on said supporting member, means for supporting said display member in an upwardly extending display position, said display member having a forwardly extending projection at the lower end thereof which projection limits the swinging of said display member into its upwardly extending position, said projection acting as a foot to rest on a supporting surface when said container is inverted and said display member serves as a supporting base therefor.

FORD S. MASON.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Nov. 1, 1926 Number 

